Monarch Butterfly - Danaus plexippus
Bright orange wings with black and white markings. The outer edge of the wings has a thick black border. Within the black border are white spots. The upper corner of the top set of wings has orange spots. The body of the monarch is black.
Monarch metamorphosis from egg to adult takes as little as 25 days, However, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of monarch eggs and caterpillars survive because they are so vulnerable to weather, parasites, and disease. Monarchs are harbingers of environmental change, and it seems that their numbers may be continuing to decline.
Habitat: Rural garden
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names depending on region include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black veined brown. It may be the most familiar North American butterfly, and is considered an iconic pollinator species.
